Part of Her World
by Tripoqgirl
Summary: Zuko didn't know who the human girl on the ship was, all he knew was that he was falling for her, and he'd do whatever it took to get to know her. (Avatar AU Zutara story loosely based on the Little Mermaid)
1. Living in Exile

Zuko peered over the waves, watching the nearby human ship. He had never seen humans before his exile. The merpeople of the Underwater Kingdom knew about humans, but preferred to stay hidden from them. Human ships sometimes passed through the waters above the Underwater Kingdom, but it was too deep for one of them to visit, so the two groups hadn't had much interaction. That human girl was on the ship. The one he couldn't get out of his mind. He'd seen her a few weeks ago, and had been coming up to the surface since then to catch glimpses of her. She would've made a lovely mermaid. She was even a water bender, a trait she shared with many merpeople, but not him.

He was a fire bender. An uncommon trait in a merman. He touched his face. He had had his scar for 8 years now. It was his firebending that had led to his banishment and his scar. He had always been an outsider due to his unusual bending, which had made him a resentful and angry child. At the age of 10, in a rage, he had lost control of his bending and had accidentally superheated the water around himself, burning his face and endangering several nearby merpeople. After this incident, he had vowed to himself that he would never let his anger endanger anyone ever again. His scar served as a reminder that he had to be more careful with his bending and keep his emotions in check.

All those years ago his father the king had banished him from the Underwater Kingdom for endangering other merpeople, an exile he was carrying out in the waters of the South Pole. The water here was colder than he had been used to, but due to his aquatic nature and inherent firebending heat, he had survived. He was used to the chill now, and it no longer bothered him.

"Prince Zuko, why do you torture yourself so?"

Zuko looked at the wave next to him where his uncle had appeared. Iroh had decided to go into exile with Zuko when he had been banished. He was part spirit because of an encounter in the spirit world, and as a result had the ability to change forms. He was also a fire bender like Zuko. These things had made him an outsider as well, and as a result he and Zuko had been very close. Or at least, as close as Zuko would let anyone get.

Zuko looked away from his uncle, feigning ignorance. "I don't know what you're talking about, Uncle."

"That human girl. You don't even know her name, yet you are infatuated with her. It's doing you no good."

Zuko sighed, pretending to give in. "You're right. Let's go."

Unconvinced, his uncle dove into the water, heading towards their home. Zuko looked towards the ship one last time, silently promising to return, then followed his uncle into the depths of the ocean.


	2. There's Something About Her

Zuko continued to sneak out of his home when he thought his uncle was distracted in order to go to the surface. The girl wasn't there often. His uncle had been right. He _was_ torturing himself. He'd probably never even get a chance to talk to her, but he couldn't stop himself from watching her.

He grew bolder, getting closer and closer to the ship when he saw that she was on it. This was how he heard her voice for the first time, how he saw her from closer than he had before. But he wasn't disappointed. She was everything he'd expected and more. He even overheard her name: Katara. By listening to the others aboard the ship, he learned that she was a princess of the Water Kingdom, royalty, just like him. He overheard that she wasn't required to be on the ship, she just liked the sea so much she often requested to go out. The crew seemed to like her. They talked about her fondly, mentioning things she'd done for them, how kind she was.

Zuko had never been in love, but he was pretty sure he had feelings for her. He knew it was silly to like her. He was probably just interested because he was so lonely. He'd never even talked to her, and she'd probably never even know he was there. She was a human and he a merman. He couldn't even go above the surface for more then a few minutes at a time or he'd suffocate. A relationship with her would've been impossible. But he couldn't help it. He was falling for this Water Kingdom princess.

Being alone most of the time was boring, but it had never seemed so bad until now. Now that he knew about her he actually _felt_ lonely. He wanted company, and not his uncle's. His uncle was more like a father to him than his true father, but he wasn't who Zuko wanted to spend time with. He wanted to spend time with Katara. He wanted to get to know her. But that wasn't possible. He was confined to the water, so all he could do was watch from a distance. It was always disappointing when he didn't see her.

* * *

Iroh noticed how his nephew was even gloomier than usual lately. He knew that Zuko was still watching the Water Kingdom girl despite his warning, and he dissaproved. Zuko shouldn't be mooning over a human, he was only hurting himself. Merpeople and humans couldn't be together. It wasn't possible, was it?


	3. Rescued From Drowning

Zuko had been watching Katara for several months when it happened. He could feel a storm coming, and so could the sailors. He retreated from the area, not wanting to get caught in the storm. But Katara didn't make it to shore with her ship. The storm came faster then the sailors had expected, and the waves grew rough as the ships began to move towards shore. The ship Katara was on heaved, and she was swept overboard by a wave, pushed underwater by its sheer force. She was too deep for the crew of the ship to have reached her even if they had been able to see where she was. She tried to swim back up to the surface, but she had already swallowed too much water. She was starting to black out.

Zuko saw her get pulled under and dove underwater to find her. Humans drowned when they were underwater for too long without breathing, just as merpeople suffocated when they were above water for too long. He swam as fast as he could towards her, his tail giving him the strength to fight waves no human could navigate. He wasn't going to let her drown.

He reached her in seconds, but she was already unconscious. He wrapped his arms around her and clutched her limp body to him, swimming to the surface as fast as he could. He broke through the surface and held her head up. She regained semi-consciousness, eyes blearily focusing on him for a second until they were forced shut as she coughed violently, her body ridding itself of the sea water. Once her coughing subsided, she lapsed back into unconsciousness. Satisfied that she could breathe, he began to swim to shore. He couldn't go into the port, but there was a nearby cave that he could swim to.

It was partially underwater, so he could swim in and set her down where she would have shelter from the storm. He pulled himself partway out of the water, his tail submerged, and set her on the ground. If he had been a water bender, he would've bended what water remained in her lungs out. He hoped she had coughed enough of it out that she would be okay. He used his firebending to create a heat around her which would dry her clothing so she wouldn't freeze. He was careful not to let it get too hot. He didn't want to burn her.

He slid back into the water and studied her. She was even prettier up close. He hoped she would be okay. He kept an eye on her while he waited for her to wake up. After a while the worst of the storm passed, and it turned to harmless rain, a calming sound.

He traced his fingers along her hand. Her skin was so much darker than his. And her hair was long and dark brown, unlike his short black hair. But the biggest difference between them was that she had legs where he had a tail.

He sighed. "I wish I could be a part of your world. Then maybe I could know you. _Actually_ know you." He whispered, more to himself than to her.

Just then a loud horn blasted. A man yelled in the distance. "Katara! Princess! Are you out there?"

The worst of the storm had passed, and a crew had been sent out to look for Katara. The noise seemed to wake her, and she opened her eyes. Zuko pulled his hand away, and she looked towards him, getting only a bleary glimpse of his face and his tail before he disappeared into the water.

Katara rubbed her eyes and sat up, coughing. She looked around once more, but whoever he was he was gone, if he had been there at all. She heard someone calling her name and made her way to the cave entrance.

"Over here!" She called, waving her arms at the ship.

Zuko watched from a safe distance, unnoticed. He didn't dive underwater until he was sure she was safely on the ship. He resolved to find a way to see her up close again somehow. There had to be a way, and he was going to find it.


	4. Memory or Dream?

_Katara thrashed about in the cold water, failing to reach the surface. She couldn't breathe. She was drowning. The world started to fade. She saw a flash of red just as everything turned black. _

_She gasped, air trying to fill her lungs. She could feel arms holding her up to breathe. She saw something blurry shining through the darkness in front of her, a face perhaps, before everything went black again._

_She felt the arms move her, and then the water on her skin disappeared in a warm haze that tinged the darkness surrounding her with a rosy pink glow which then faded until everything was dark again._

_Someone was talking, whispering. She couldn't quite understand what he was saying, but it seemed important. Her hand tingled where it met his. _

_A noise opened her eyes, and she saw the face shape again, but this time it was more clear. She could almost see him, then he was gone, a streak of red following him into the water._

* * *

Katara gasped, sitting up in her bed. She'd had that dream again. It made no sense, but in a way it felt real. It was almost like a hazy memory, but she didn't remember it happening. All she really remembered about the night she'd almost drowned was getting swept into the water by the wave, struggling to make it to the surface, and then waking up in that cave.

The healer had said that people who almost drowned sometimes had hallucinations, and her father had told her that she'd had a hard time keeping her thoughts straight when she'd first been brought back to the palace. He said that she'd been talking about white faces and red hazes. Katara didn't remember saying these things, but they seemed similar to her dreams. Maybe she'd had hallucinations while in the water and they'd somehow turned into dreams.

She frowned. Her answer was the most logical explanation, but she felt like there was more, like she was missing something. She wasn't sure what it was, but she was going to figure it out somehow.


	5. Making Sense of it All

"Uncle, I need to talk to you."

"You want to visit that girl."

"How did you know?"

"You think I haven't noticed you sneaking up to the surface? I may be old, but I am no fool. I have been asking around, and the animals tell me the best person to go to is the inventor. I don't know who he is, but he lives on a nearby island. We could go and see if he has any ideas."

Zuko smiled. "Thank you, uncle."

* * *

Katara paced the floor. "I don't know what it is, Gran Gran, but something about this isn't adding up. I don't think all of it was a hallucination. I think someone- or something- saved me. Do you think it was a spirit?"

"Perhaps. No human could have survived alone in those waves except through a miracle. It is possible that a spirit saved you."

"But it was red. Aren't the ocean spirits usually blue?"

Her grandmother nodded, then scratched her head, recalling a story she'd heard once. "But there is another possibility. Have you ever heard of merpeople?"

Katara shook her head.

"Well, some say that there is a 5th kingdom in addition to the Water, Earth, Fire, and Air kingdoms. The Underwater Kingdom. They say that merpeople live down there. Half fish half human."

Katara thought about this. "So you're saying a merperson could've saved me?"

"Perhaps. But don't get your hopes up. You probably won't see them again. They're rumored to live in the deepest part of the ocean. If that's true, then the Water Kingdom is pretty far from where the merpeople live. It's unlikely that you'll see your savior again, whether it's one of the fabled merpeople or not."

Katara nodded. She believed her grandmother. Even if her savior had been a merperson of the myths, she probably wouldn't see them again. They would be long gone by now.


	6. Looking for a Solution

Zuko looked over at his uncle doubtfully. "Are you sure this is the right place?"

Iroh scratched his head. "Pretty sure."

Iroh transformed into a human. "I'll go see if there's anybody home."

He climbed out of the water and went to knock on the door of the tiny hut in the middle of the small island. It appeared to be cobbled together of bits and pieces of animal hides and rocks. This was where the animals had told uncle Iroh to come. Apparently there was an inventor living here. Zuko was starting to doubt his uncle had heard the animals right. Because he couldn't morph into their forms, he couldn't talk to them, so he had no way of knowing if his uncle heard them correctly. He just hoped swimming out to this island hadn't been a waste of his time.

The door to the hut opened and a young man stepped out. "Hell- _ahhh_!"

He shielded his face. "Why aren't you wearing any clothes?!"

Iroh smiled, being as friendly as possible. "I don't own any clothes. I don't find them useful in my usual form."

The man turned away and went into his hut, rummaging through some drawers. "Yeah, okay, whatever. Borrow something of mine. In fact, keep it. It's a bad idea to walk around naked. People will freak out."

He stepped outside and tossed a large pair of pants to Iroh, not looking at him. "Here. These don't fit me anyway."

"Thank you," Iroh said, stepping into his new pants. "You are very kind."

The man peered over his shoulder to check if Iroh had the pants on yet. Turning around, he offered his hand. "You're welcome. My name's Sokka, and you are…"

Iroh took Sokka's hand, not realizing he was supposed to shake it. "Iroh. This is my nephew, prince Zuko." He gestured towards the water.

Sokka peered at Zuko. "Why are you in the water?"

This offended Zuko. "Well I can't exactly stand up there, what with my _tail_!"

"Whoa, calm down," Sokka said, backing away. "Wait- did you say tail?"

Before Zuko could retort, Iroh held up his hand, silencing him. "Prince Zuko, I am sure he did not mean to offend you." He turned to Sokka. "And yes, you heard correctly. He has a tail. We are both mermen. I have the ability to change shapes, which I used to turn into a human. That is why I did not have clothes. We came here because my nephew wishes to visit the human world, and we have been told you might be able to help us."

Sokka's mouth hung open. "But I always thought merpeople were just a myth. A story told to children." He turned to Zuko. "Can I see your tail?"

Zuko huffed, then swam a little farther from the island, letting his tail skim the surface of the water so that Sokka could see it.

He returned, crossing his arms sullenly. "Happy?"

"Can I touch it? Is it smooth or scaly? Why's it red? Can you breathe underwater?"

Zuko glared at him.

"Right, right. Visiting the human world. Well, I think I could make something to make you stand upright so that you could be on land."

Iroh shook his head. "That will not work. Merpeople suffocate if they are above the water for more than a few minutes."

Sokka frowned. "We could do that and have something holding water over his head, like a tank."

"No. I don't think that will work."

Sokka scratched his head. "Well, that's it. I'm out of ideas. You'd have to turn into a human to do what you want to do, and I can't make that happen."

Zuko frowned. "Is there someone who could?"

"Well, maybe… maybe the avatar could turn you into a human."


	7. Becoming Human

Zuko looked up at the ship his uncle had just boarded. Sokka had informed them that the Avatar, as chief peacekeeper between the kingdoms, was visiting the Water Kingdom and would be on a ship that looked like this. Zuko was just hoping they hadn't been misinformed. There was no way he could visit the avatar in his mountainous homelands.

Sokka had said that Avatar Aang was known for being kind and compassionate, and he thought if this was true he would probably agree to see him.

* * *

"This is my nephew Zuko, he would like to talk to you."

Zuko looked up. The Avatar and his uncle were standing at the railing of the ship. The Avatar was younger than Zuko had expected, and looked to be only 13 years old.

Aang waterbent a column of water so that Zuko was at the level of the railing. "Hi, I'm Aang. I've never met a merperson before, I wasn't sure if you existed. But anyways, how can I help you?"

"Well, I… I want to be human."

Aang looked at Zuko, thinking about how he might be able to help.

"I know! I could influence your light chakra! That might allow you to transform."

"What's a light chakra?"

"The light chakra is right here," Aang said, tapping his forehead. "It deals with insight and is blocked by illusion. One of the biggest illusions is that we're all separate, and that includes being separated by species. Maybe if I could unlock your chakra you would be able to transform into a human. Your body structure is already very similar."

Zuko nodded. "I'll try that."

"Wait," Iroh said. "First you need clothes. You don't want to 'freak people out.'"

* * *

"Are you ready?"

Zuko nodded.

"Alright, relax yourself. Let go of the idea that you are a merman. Let yourself believe that you're a human."

Zuko closed his eyes and did as Aang asked. He concentrated on how it would feel to be human.

Aang pressed his thumb against Zuko's forehead, and his eyes glowed white as he unlocked the chakra. "Now. Let yourself become human."

Zuko focused his whole being into transforming. He felt his tail tingle, splitting itself into legs and feet. His gills disappeared, replaced by lungs. Hundreds of tiny changes from merman to human occurred.

And then he was on the deck of the ship, his uncle helping him into pants that wouldn't have fit over his tail but now fit comfortably over his human legs. He stood with his uncle's help and tried to take a step. He was wobbly at first but soon grew steady.

He smiled. "Thank you, Aang."

Or at least that's what he was trying to say. It came out in a scratchy inaudible whisper that hurt his throat.

He looked to his uncle, wondering if he had an explanation for his weak voice.

"Maybe when you transformed the change in your breathing structure weakened your voice. But look my nephew, now you are a human."

Zuko smiled at that. Even if his voice was strange, at least now he would be able to meet Katara. He could hardly wait for the ship to get to the Water Kingdom.


	8. Arrived at Last

Aang was going on his annual trip to the Water Kingdom, and since that's where Zuko and Iroh were going, they traveled the rest of the way there together.

Aang was only 13, but he took his role as Avatar very seriously. He visited each of the 4 kingdoms at least once a year. The Water Kingdom was his favorite because he and Katara were good friends.

He and Zuko got along well. Zuko's voice showed no sign of getting stronger and it hurt to speak, so he didn't talk, but they still managed to communicate.

Iroh was given a cup of tea while onboard, and after trying it declared it was the best thing he'd ever had. He kept asking for more, so Aang sent him off to make his own. Within hours he was making tea that was better than any of them had ever tasted. As Aang said, Iroh was a natural at it.

* * *

After a few days they reached the Water Kingdom, and Zuko was given a room to stay in at the palace. Aang had servants supply Zuko with clothing in the size they guessed would fit him.

Most of it was red, an unusual clothing color in the Water Kingdom. Aang requested that color for him because Zuko seemed to prefer it. His tail had been red, and having the color over his new legs made them look more natural to him. He just felt more comfortable having them look a similar color. He didn't wear the other piece of clothing they brought him, something the servants called a shirt. He wasn't sure how to put it on or what its purpose was.

After getting dressed he went in search of his uncle, who he'd been told was going to be staying in the room next to his, but wasn't there at the moment. He looked into rooms, seeing if he could find Iroh, but didn't see him anywhere.

He ran into Aang, who pointed him towards the kitchens, saying Iroh had decided to help make tea for that night's dinner.

* * *

Iroh filled the last of the large teapots with water. He had been told that there would be 18 people at dinner, so he was making enough tea for each person to have 2 cups. He was starting to light the fire underneath the first teapot when someone started yelling at him.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my kitchen?!"

He looked behind him. A young woman dressed in a green chef's uniform was standing in the doorway, looking extremely annoyed.

"There is no need to shout. My name is Iroh. I am making the tea for tonight."

"Well I don't want you here! We already have enough chefs to prepare the food and tea, we don't need you. Leave. Now!"

"Now, now, there is no need to get angry."

"I said leave!"

She gestured with her hand and a column of rock rose from the ground, hitting Iroh square in the behind.

"Get out of my kitchen!"

Iroh hurried out the door, running headlong into Zuko as he came in.

"No, nephew, don't come in here, the chef lady is scary."

They left as quickly as they could, the chef throwing rocks and insults at them until they were out of the kitchen.

* * *

"Katara, this is Zuko. He's visiting from…" Aang looked at Zuko, trying to figure out where he should say he was from. His eyes settled on the red color of his pants. "…the Fire Kingdom. Zuko, this is Katara, princess of the Water Kingdom."

"It's nice to meet you, Zuko."

Zuko smiled and took her offered hand, bowing in an awkward imitation of what he'd seen the other guests do. He was so happy to finally meet Katara for real.

Katara gave him a friendly smile, wondering why he wasn't wearing a shirt. Maybe it was a Fire Kingdom thing? It seemed rude to ask. She waited for him to say something, but he just stood there smiling. She looked to Aang, hoping for an explanation.

"Oh, uh, he doesn't really talk. Um… throat injury."

Katara glanced at her friend. "So, how do you know Zuko?"

"Oh, we met at… you see…"

"They met when Aang visited our Kingdom. The Avatar and my nephew became good friends, and now Aang has brought Zuko to the Water Kingdom because he has always wanted to see it."

Katara looked at the man who had just entered the conversation.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you before. I'm Katara, princess of the Water Kingdom."

Iroh took Katara's hand and bowed.

"A pleasure to meet you, princess. I am Iroh, Zuko's uncle. I just got here from the kitchen. I had to sneak around so that I could finish making the tea. The head chef is scary."

Katara laughed. "Yes, Toph can be intimidating, but she's a great chef. She's from the Earth Kingdom originally, but she makes the best traditional Water Kingdom dishes I've ever tasted. And she does all that without being able to see what she's doing. She uses her bending to sense everything."

"Yes, that is indeed quite impressive. But still, I want to make tea without her getting mad at me."

"I can appoint you official tea maker for the duration of your visit."

"That would be wonderful. Thank you, princess."

"It's my pleasure. I look forward to getting to know you and your nephew while your are staying at the palace."


	9. Revealing Truths

The next day Zuko and Katara went for a picnic with Iroh. Aang and Katara's father were at a meeting, and Katara was interested in getting to know this unusual Fire Kingdom boy. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something about him seemed familiar.

After eating, Zuko and Katara got up to go for a walk while Iroh made tea on a little portable stove.

"So, are you a firebender?"

He looked down at his hands, images of boiling water flashing through his mind, then shook his head no. He hadn't really firebent since the day of the accident, the day he'd been banished.

Katara could tell it was an uncomfortable subject for him. Maybe he had bad memories of firebenders?

"Did a fire bender hurt you? Is that why you have that scar?"

Zuko grimaced.

"I'm sorry, you don't have to tell me."

Zuko stopped walking, waiting for her to stop before trying to communicate. He held his hands out, then pulled them towards himself, brushing one against his eye.

_I did it, _he thought, willing her to understand. _I hurt myself by accident_.

"Are you saying that it was an accident? One that you caused?"

He nodded.

"So you _are_ a firebender."

He shook his head. He held his palm open then pressed it closed with his other hand, pulling it back to his chest.

"You don't use your bending anymore."

She stepped closer to him, brushing his hair away from his face to inspect his scar. He stiffened at her touch.

"Interesting. It looks more like a water burn than a burn from a fire. Do you know why that is?"

Zuko shrugged. He wasn't going to let her know that it _was_ a water burn, that would raise too many suspicions.

She pulled her fingers away, letting his hair fall back to his face.

"I have another question. Why don't you wear a shirt? At first I though it must be a Fire Kingdom thing, but your uncle wears a shirt. So why don't you?"

Zuko was confused. He shook his head, showing her he didn't understand.

"You know, a shirt. A piece of clothing that you wear over your chest." She gestured at her own shirt to show him what she meant.

Zuko smiled and nodded, he understood now.

"I can find you one later, if you like."

He nodded. He would need to dress like the humans if he wanted to fit in.


	10. A Familiar Face

_Katara was drowning in the cold water, desperately reaching for the surface. She could almost see someone in the distance coming towards her before she blacked out._

_She was pulled against someone, and his strong arms pushed her through the surface. She breathed, gasping for air. She clung to the boy holding her as she fell unconscious. She didn't know him, but she knew he wouldn't hurt her._

_He swam towards the cave and moved her onto the rocks. His hands glowed, filling the space around her with a warm haze. She couldn't move. All she could see were his hands._

_He took her hand and whispered something unintelligible to her and she opened her eyes, catching a glimpse of his face before he disappeared into the water, his legs covered in red._

* * *

Katara woke up with a start. That face! It had been Zuko's face.

She was surprised that the dream had changed. It had been the same night after night since the night she'd almost drowned, but now it was different.

The details had been more clear, the dream had made more sense, and the person's face- it had been recognizable.

But why would Zuko be in the dream? She barely knew him.

It did make some sense. He was a firebender, hence the warmth in the cave. He hadn't worn a shirt before as far as she knew, so he'd been shirtless. He was Fire Kingdom, which would make sense for the red-clad legs.

But she had started having the dream way before she'd met Zuko. Why would he be in it now? He must've fit parts of the dream so her mind had put him there.

It was intriguing. She'd have to get to know Zuko better if she wanted to figure out more.


	11. More or Less on the Same Page

"I think Zuko was in my dream because my subconscious saw connections between him and whatever saved me, but it couldn't have been him. No human could've gotten through those waves, and he didn't arrive in the Water Kingdom until a few days ago. I talked to Gran Gran about my dream when it first started, and she thought it could've been a spirit or a merperson. What do you think?"

Aang's eyes widened, his suspicion about Katara's rescuer confirmed. "Merperson?"

So Zuko had saved Katara, and she didn't know. He almost told her the truth, but he wasn't sure if it would be okay for him to reveal that Zuko was a merperson. He should talk to Zuko about this.

* * *

"Did you rescue Katara from drowning a while back?"

Zuko turned around, surprised. How did Aang know about that?

"Katara just told me about a dream she's been having a lot for a while. It's about someone recuing her from drowning. Apparently the face of the person was hard to see but now that she's met you it's your face."

Zuko frowned. He hadn't thought she would remember him.

"It was you, wasn't it?!"

Zuko nodded.

"We should tell her, she deserves to know."

Zuko's eyes widened. He shook his head. _No_. If she knew he wasn't human, who knew how she'd react. He might lose his chance to get to know her if she found out.

Aang's eyes narrowed at Zuko's panicked expression. "Wait… are you… _interested_ in her?"

Zuko's face turned red. He shook his head No, but it was pretty obvious he was lying.

Aang tuned away from Zuko, disgusted at the jealousy that flared through him. He was the _Avatar_, he wasn't supposed to be jealous of such petty things. He had no claim to Katara. Sure she'd been his friend for forever, and he had been interested in her for years, but that didn't mean no one else could be interested in her. But all of his reasoning didn't matter. Despite understanding that his jealousy was wrong, he couldn't help but feel it.

Zuko tapped Aang on the shoulder to check if he was okay. Aang turned around and put on his friendliest smile.

"Don't worry, I won't tell her. It's our secret."

But as Aang walked away, all he could think about was how he would get Katara to fall for him instead of Zuko.


	12. Interrogating Her Rescuer

Katara couldn't stop thinking about the connections between her unknown savior and Zuko. He fit her dream perfectly, but it still didn't make sense. If he had, by some crazy coincidence, been in the water with her, how would he have survived? He was just as human as she was... wasn't he?

Katara was pretty sure she didn't believe in merpeople. She'd never seen them before, and the only mention she'd heard of them had been in her grandmother's story. By all logical conclusions, they were made up creatures. But, if they _were_ real, then her savior would definitely fit the description of a merperson, and Zuko definitely fit her memories of her savior.

* * *

Katara looked at Zuko sitting across from her on the grass. He was fiddling with a flower next to him. It wasn't anything unusual, just one of the many little flowers considered a "weed", but he seemed fascinated by it.

"Do you believe in merpeople?"

Zuko stiffened and looked up. Why would Katara ask that? Did she know?

Katara raised an eyebrow at his discomfort.

"Do you?"

Zuko opened his mouth to speak, then remembered his voice was gone. He shook his head.

"Did I tell you about how I almost drowned a while back?"

He shook his head No.

"No? Well, I've been thinking, and I'm pretty sure I was rescued by something. And based on the description I've heard of merpeople, I believe it could've been a merperson that saved me. If they do exist, that is."

Zuko nodded, trying to seem nonchalant, but managing only to look slightly less nervous than he was. He really hoped she would drop the subject. Her finding out he was a merman was not something he wanted.

"I've had a recurring memory sort of dream since then, and since I met you, you've been in it."

Zuko's face flushed. She really had been dreaming of him. He'd really been hoping she wouldn't remember what he'd said.

"And in the dream you say something, but I can't understand it."

Zuko suppressed his sigh of relief. She hadn't heard his sappy "I wish I could be a part of your world" line. He calmed down for about 2 seconds before she came towards him, leaned really close, and took his face in her hands in order to get a better look at his scar.

"Something here's not adding up." She traced his scar with her thumb. "It _is_ a water burn, I'm sure of it. Are you... a merman?"

He didn't answer, but she could tell she'd freaked him out. She'd only been half serious with the question, but based on his shocked expression, she was now pretty sure she'd guessed correctly.

He shook his head fervently. _No_.

She was not convinced.

"I don't believe you."

Zuko tried to scoot away from her, but she wasn't going to let him go until she understood what was going on. She grabbed his forearms to keep him there.

"You are going to tell me what's going on and who you really are right now."

Zuko pulled away from her, but when she didn't let go he lost his balance and fell on his back. Before he could get up she sat on his chest.

"I want to know. _Now_."

He tired to speak, but his voice didn't work.

"Nod yes or no. Are you really a human?"

Giving in, Zuko shook his head No.

"Are you a merman?"

He nodded Yes.

"Were you the person who rescued me?"

He nodded yes again.

Katara was at a loss for words. Now that she knew for sure that he had rescued her, she wasn't sure what to do. She felt kind of bad for yelling at him. Should she apologize for that? She should probably thank him for saving her. She let go of his arms so he could sit up and got off his chest.

"Thanks for, you know, saving me."


	13. True Form

Aang glanced at Katara as she fiddled with a small flower.

"Where'd you get the flower?"

She glanced down at her hands in surprise. She hadn't realized she'd picked it up.

"I think Zuko gave it to me."

"You've been spending a lot of time with him."

"I like him. He's interesting."

"Wait... you _like_ him?"

Katara blushed. "No, I didn't mean... I just..."

Aang couldn't believe it. She _did_ like Zuko! She didn't even know what he really was! Well, he'd show her. She'd reconsider her attraction to Zuko once she knew he wasn't human.

He glanced at her flushed cheeks and steeled his resolve.

"Why don't we all have a picnic together?"

* * *

"Katara, I need to show you something."

Aang pressed his thumb against Zuko's forehead, his eyes glowing white as he unlocked Zuko's light chakra. "Now you'll see him for what he really is."

Aang focused his whole being into transforming Zuko. Zuko fought against the transformation, but it was too late. He felt his legs tingle, merging into a tail. His lungs disappeared, replaced by gills. He was turning back into a merman.

Katara gasped, pushing Aang away from Zuko. "What did you do?!"

"I turned him back into a merman. This is Zuko's true form."

"Why?! Why did you do this?!"

Aang had been expecting Katara to be shocked at seeing Zuko's true form, but she just seemed angry at him. He couldn't see what he'd done wrong, so he defended himself.

"So you could see that he's not like us! You can't be together, he isn't human! You should be with me instead!"

Katara looked at her friend, horrified.

"How could you do this? Why would you think this would make me love you?"

She turned to Zuko, who had fallen onto his back, and took his face in her hands.

"Are you okay?"

"Katara..." he coughed, his voice returned now that he was a merman again. He would suffocate if he was in this form for much longer without water.

Katara turned back to Aang. She had to get him to help Zuko.

"Aang, you need to change him back! He could die!"

"No, I want you to love _me_!"

"I will never love you like that! Especially not if you're capable of killing someone just to get your way!"

Katara leaned over Zuko and pressed her hands to his forehead, trying to do what Aang wouldn't. She was a trained healer, maybe she could at least give him a few more minutes. She drew moisture from the grass and other surrounding plants, trying to use it to heal Zuko. When it did nothing, she leaned down until her forehead was nearly touching his own. She cradled his face in her hands, pleading with him to stay, to survive.

Aang pressed his hand against Katara's collarbone, attempting to open her air chakra. If he could open it, he could make her love him, but it wouldn't open. It was blocked by grief. And as he pushed harder against her energy to try and unlock it, her grief flooded over him and he could see her panic over Zuko's impending death, her sadness over his betrayal, her anger over his attempt at forcing her to love him.

Aang pulled away. He couldn't do it. He couldn't force her to love him. It was impossible for him to do it, not only because of her grief, but because he could see that she really did have feelings for Zuko.

Zuko felt Katara's tears dripping onto his face. He did not want to die, and he did not want to cause Katara pain. He wrapped his arms around Katara and as she held him he focused on her, how she made him feel, how he'd do anything to be with her. He focused on being with Katara, and how he needed to be human to do that, and his light chakra unlocked.

This transformation was different form the other two. He became human, but in a different way. He wasn't a merman changed into a human, he _was_ a human. It was his true form now.

Zuko brushed the tears off of Katara's cheeks. "I'm not going to die, it's okay."

Katara pulled away slightly so she could see his face and smiled. He was human again, and he was going to be okay.

"So that's what your voice sounds like."

He started to respond but was cut off by her lips on his. She was _kissing_ him. It was his first kiss, and it was with _Katara_, and it was _nice_. He was kind of overwhelmed by it all.

She pulled away after a few seconds and looked at him seriously. "Don't _ever_ scare me like that again."

He would've replied, but she was kissing him again, and he didn't want to waste any of the time he had with her, now that he was truly human.


End file.
